Caltrain+ vs NorthStarVIP
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Caltrain+
Plan your Caltrain trips with ease. Get real-time schedules, find the fastest routes, and view service alerts. Perfect for commuters and occasional riders needing to navigate the Caltrain system efficiently.
- Trip planning by departure and arrival station
- View full timetables
- Access service alerts
- System map integration
- Filter by 'arrive by' time
- View scheduled stops for each train
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Caltrain+ is a Caltrain schedule and trip planning app that lets you quickly and easily figure out which train to take to get you from Station A to Station B. Additionally you can view full timetables, service alerts, and a system map all from within the app. To use Caltrain+, simply select the station you want to depart from, the station you want to arrive at, and the timetable (Weekday or Weekend), and Caltrain+ will show you a complete list of every matching train you could take along with its number, service type (i.e. Local, Limited, Express, or South County Connector), departure and arrival time, and trip duration. Optionally specify an “arrive by” time to filter the list of trains to only include those which will get you to your destination station before the specified time. You can also view the full list of scheduled stops for a particular train just by tapping on it. Transit data provided by 511.org. Icon made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com.
NorthStarVIP
This app provides comprehensive guides for new residents, covering city overviews, local news, weather, real estate markets, schools, and attractions. It aims to help people quickly settle into their new surroundings by offering essential local information.
- Area guides
- Local news and weather
- Real estate market info
- School information
- Things to do
- Restaurant listings
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NorthStarVIP app includes comprehensive area guides with an overview of the city, local news and weather, purchase and rental market info, info on local schools, things to do, restaurants and other important information to help relocating people to quickly settle into their new location.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Caltrain+ at 4.8 against NorthStarVIP's 4.3. Caltrain+ also leads on ratings volume (2.3K vs 11). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Caltrain+ holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Caltrain+ has 2.3K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Caltrain+'s written reviews are positive against 80% of NorthStarVIP's.
Caltrain+ ships an update every 3 weeks, NorthStarVIP monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Caltrain+ | NorthStarVIP |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (2.3K ratings) — better | 4.3 (11 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews — better | 80.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2.3K — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 50 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jonathan Sahoo | John L Merriweather |
Customer experience
Caltrain+
NorthStarVIP
Bugs and requests
Caltrain+
Reported bugs
2 issues- App doesn't open
- Unable to process payments
Requested features
3 requests- Expand service to Gilroy
- Post more info on the app like ticketing and upcoming changes
- Add dark mode
NorthStarVIP
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Caltrain+
No in-app purchases
NorthStarVIP
No in-app purchases
